Boot for Protecting Fence Posts, Fence-Post Assembly, and Method for Protecting Fence Posts

ABSTRACT

A boot of waterproof material is placed around a fence post at the soil line to prevent the fence post from weakening from becoming wet. By reducing moisture in the fence post along the soil line, the fence post is not become weakened by the moisture and susceptible to failure in windstorms. Extending the boot above and below the soil line prevents water from being absorbed in the part of the fence post that is most susceptible to failure. A seal of waterproof material can be adhered to the top of the boot and to the fence post to prevent moisture from entering any space between the boot and the fence post.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/835,509, filed Apr. 18, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to fences, and more particularly to fence posts.

Description of the Related Art

Picket fences are built by placing fence posts into the ground, connecting the fence posts with horizontal rails, and then attaching a series of vertical pickets to the rails. The fence posts, rails, and pickets are most frequently made of wood.

Windstorms can blow fences over. Windstorms also can break fences into its parts and even break the parts themselves. Experience has further shown that picket fences typically fail during weather that is shared across a community, for example, a windstorm or hurricane.

After a windstorm that is part of a large natural disaster, like a hurricane or tornado, a shortage of building materials can occur. The shortage is caused by two factors. Before the storm, homeowners buy wood to protect windows. After the storm, homeowners and contractors buy wood to repair houses. In addition, after a storm, qualified fence contractor become expensive and slow to complete fence-repair projects, because the number of downed fences creates a demand for contractors. In addition, contractors start by working on higher-priority jobs like home repair and then later perform lower priority work, like fence repair. As a result of these factors, after a large windstorm, fence repair becomes slow and expensive.

The problems with picket fences is evinced by the presence of building codes that dictate standards for picket fence. In Miami-Dade County, Fla., fence posts must be placed in holes that are at least sixty centimeters (>60 cm) deep. The holes must be backfilled with concrete. The fence posts are ten centimeters by ten centimeters by two-hundred-forty-three centimeters (10 cm×10 cm×243 cm). The rails are one and nine-tenths centimeters by thirteen centimeters by one-hundred-eighty-three centimeters (1.9 cm×13 cm×183 cm). The parts of the picket fence are required to be made of pressure-treated wood.

FIG. 2 shows a fence post 2 according to the prior art. The fence post 2 includes a dry part 2A above the soil line 31 and a wet part 2B below the soil line 31. The wet part 2B has absorbed moisture from surrounding concrete 4. Cracks 25A and 25B show that the fence post 2 breaks at a height equal to the soil line 31 of the ground 3.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the below-described objects, the invention provides a boot for protecting fence Posts, a fence-post assembly, and a method for protecting fence posts.

Applicant discovered that, in windstorms, picket fences fail because the fence posts snap near the soil line. The soil line is the fulcrum point at which the shear forces are applied. What is less obvious, is that the fence posts are particularly susceptible along the soil line because the fence post has absorbed water from the surrounding soil and concrete. In addition, moisture from below the soil line is wicked by the fence posts to heights above the soil line. The wet fence posts are weaker than dry fence posts. Finally, wooden fence posts that are exposed over time to water are further weakened as the wet wood rots.

In accordance with the objects of the invention, a boot protects a wooden fence post from weakening at the sheer point, along the soil line, by preventing moisture from penetrating the fence post near the soil line. The boot includes a wall of material that encircles and abuts the lateral external surface of a wooden fence post. The material is impermeable to water.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for preventing a wooden fence post from absorbing water from surrounding soil at least at the portion of the fence post that is most likely to snap (i.e. near the soil line). A boot having a height of at least forty-five centimeters (>45 cm) has been found to be effective for protecting a post having a ten centimeter by ten centimeter (10 cm×10 cm) cross section. The boot according to the invention is such a device that can be placed on the fence post so that the fence post is covered by the boot at least to the soil line. While covering the entire subterranean portion of the fence post is preferable, a boot should cover at least the weakest parts of the fence post, which are fifteen centimeters (15 cm) above the soil line to thirty centimeters (30 cm) below the soil line.

In accordance with the objects of the invention, a boot for a fence post can be made from a waterproof material. Rubber and neoprene are examples of suitable materials. The material can be purchased as a roll. Examples of suitable materials are sold under the trade name R82 RED RUBBER GASKET MATERIAL, R80 BLACK NEOPRENE GASKET MATERIAL, and R86 CLOTH-INSERTED GASKET MATERIAL, which are all manufactured by the Abbott Rubber Company, Inc. The material is wrapped around the fence post and sealed along its seam with waterproof adhesive.

An adhesive caulk sealant can be added along the top edge of the boot to create a waterproof seal between the fence post and the top edge of the boot. The adhesive caulk sealant prevents water from seeping downward, for example in rain, between the fence post and the boot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boot that allows any water unintentionally allowed between the boot and the fence post to drain. In accordance with this object, the bottom of the boot can be left unsealed (e.g. uncaulked) against the fence post to allow any moisture between the boot and the fence post to drain.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boot that complements the outer shape of the fence post when the boot is installed. The boot can be made of a flexible material such as rubber or neoprene that an installer can pull taught around a fence post, close itself along the seam, and caulk on its upper inner surface to the fence post. An alternative to a boot made of a flexible material is to provide a rigid boot having a channel therethrough for passing the fence post through the channel. The boot should have an inner shape that complements the outer shape of the fence post to be wrapped. By providing a complementary shape, any space between the boot and the fence post is minimized. As mentioned, one method of providing a tightly fitting boot is to wrap a fence post with a flexible material. An alternative is to provide a rigid boot that is molded to have an inner shape that complement the outer shape of the fence post. Typically, a fence post will have a square or rectangular cross section, so in the case of a molded boot, the molded boot should have an inner shape that complements the square or rectangular cross section of the fence post.

A further object of the invention is to provide a solution that can be installed onsite or prefabricated as a fence-post-boot assembly before sale to the installer. The boot can be sold as a separate product that is added to prior-art fence post or the boot can be incorporated in fence post assemblies that include the fence post and the boot. Such a fence post is to be made so that when the fence post is inserted in the hole, the boot will cover the soil line of the ground.

The boot can be at least fifteen centimeters (>15 cm) tall and be configured to cover the lateral external surface of the fence post from where the soil line is to be located to fifteen centimeters above the soil line (h_(soil+15 cm)). Because most fence posts break at a distance between the soil line and fifteen centimeters above the soil line (h_(soil) through h_(soil+15 cm)), a boot that covers this region will prevent this region of the fence post from absorbing water and rotting. So, a boot of this height is particularly effective in preventing the most come fence post breaks.

While the region from fifteen centimeters to thirty centimeters (h_(soil+15 cm) through h_(soil+30 cm)) above the soil line is not as susceptible as the region from zero to fifteen centimeters above the soil line (h_(soil) through h_(soil+15 cm)), the region from fifteen to thirty centimeters (15-30 cm) is more susceptible to failure than the rest of the fence post. Accordingly, providing a boot that extends to at least thirty centimeters above the soil line (>h_(soil+30 cm)) will be more effective at protecting the fence post than a similar length boot located at a higher place on the fence post.

A boot that extends above and below the soil line is particularly effective for preventing a fence post from breaking. A boot that is at least forty-five centimeters tall (>45 cm) is particularly effective. The boot can be configured to cover the lateral external surface of the fence post from where the soil line is to be located to fifteen centimeters above said soil line (h_(soil+15 cm)). In addition, the boot can be configured to cover the lateral external surface of the fence post from where the soil line is to be located to thirty centimeters below the soil line (h_(soil−30 cm)).

The hole can be filled with concrete after the fence post with the boot is inserted in the hole. A particularly effective configuration has the top edge of the boot located above the top of the concrete. By locating the top of the boot above the top of the concrete, concrete along with moisture does not have a chance to fill between the boot and the fence post.

The invention includes a method for strengthening a fence post to be placed in ground. A first step of the method is wrapping at least a portion of an outer surface of a fence post with a boot made of material impermeable to water. The next step is placing the fence post into a hole in the ground at a depth where the boot covers the outer surface of said fence post at the soil line. Wrapping the fence post with the boot at least from the soil line to a height at least fifteen centimeters above the soil line is particularly helpful in preventing the fence post from breaking. Wrapping the fence post to a height at least thirty centimeters (30 cm) above the soil line is even more effective. In addition, wrapping the fence post with the boot at least from the soil line to a depth at least thirty centimeters below the soil line creates a particularly resilient fence post.

To provide a particularly moisture-resistant fence post, the method can include the step of placing the boot directly against the outer surface of said post.

After the fence post is placed in the hole, the next step is back filling the hole with concrete outside of boot.

As an alternative to backfilling the hole once the fence post is placed in the hole, the method can include the steps of pouring concrete into the hole before placing the fence post. Then, the next step is placing the fence post in the hole while the concrete is wet.

Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a boot for protecting fence posts, a fence post assembly, and a method for protecting fence posts, the invention should not be limited to the details shown in those embodiments because various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention while remaining within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention and additional objects and advantages of the invention is best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a rear sectional view of a fence according to the invention where the section is taken along the rear faces of the fence posts.

FIG. 2 is a rear sectional view of a fence post according to the prior art.

FIG. 3 is a rear sectional view of a fence post and boot of the fence shown in FIG. 1, where the section is taken along the rear face of the fence post and where the fence post is inserted into a hole before concrete is added.

FIG. 4 is a rear sectional view of the fence post and boot shown in FIG. 3 with concrete filling the hole.

FIG. 5 is a top sectional view of the fence post taken along Line V-V shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is top elevational view of the fence post and boot shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 show a preferred embodiment of a wall 10 made using a preferred embodiment of a boot 1. The wall 10 includes a plurality of fence posts 2. The fence posts 2 are buried in the ground 3. Three rails 5 run parallel to the ground 3 and are nailed to the fence posts 2. The rails 5 are preferably pieces of wood that are one and nine-tenths centimeters by thirteen centimeters by one-hundred-eighty-three centimeters (1.9 cm×13 cm×183 cm). A plurality of pickets 6 are arranged vertically and are attached to each of the three rails 5. Two of the fence posts 2 have a boot 1 adhered to the fence post 2.

FIG. 3 shows a hole 32 dug in the ground 3. The height 24 of the hole 32 from the soil line 31 to the hole bottom 34 is set by the building code, which for this example is sixty-one centimeters (61 cm). The hole 32 has a cross section larger than the cross section of the fence post 2. A layer of gravel, which is not shown, is added to the bottom of the hole 32. Next, the fence post 2 is placed in the hole 32 with the fence-post bottom 26 of the fence post 2 resting on the hole bottom 34. The fence post 2 has a boot 1 placed around the fence post 2. The boot 1 has a boot height 11 that is forty-six centimeters (46 cm). An adhesive 14 is placed at the top of the boot 1 to prevent moisture from reaching between the boot 1 and the fence post 2. Caulk is a preferred adhesive 14. The fence post 2 has a rectangular cross section with a front face 20A, left face 20B, and right face 20D. The boot 1 extends fifteen centimeters (15 cm) above the soil line 31 and thirty-one centimeters (31 cm) below the soil line 31.

FIG. 4 shows the hole 32 after the hole 32 has been backfilled with concrete 4. The adhesive 14 is above the top of the concrete.

FIG. 5 shows a boot 1 surrounding a fence post 2. The boot 1 is a flexible rubber sheet wrapped around the fencepost 2. An adhesive 14 wraps around the top of the boot 1 and the fence post 2. FIG. 6 shows the adhesive at the top of the boot that adheres directly to the fence post 2. The adhesive 14 prevents moisture from reaching between the fence post 2 and then boot 1. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A boot for protecting a wooden fence post having a lateral external surface, comprising: a wall of material being configured to encircle and abut the lateral external surface of the wooden fence post, said material being impermeable to water.
 2. The boot according to claim 1, wherein said boot has a height of at least forty-five centimeters.
 3. The boot according to claim 1, wherein said material is rubber.
 4. The boot according to claim 1, wherein said boot has a boot cross section, said boot cross section having an inner shape, said inner shape complementing an outer shape of a cross-section of the fence post.
 5. The boot according to claim 4, wherein said inner shape is rectangular.
 6. A fence post assembly to be supported by being partially inserted in ground and extending above a soil line of the ground, comprising: a fence post having a lateral external surface, said fence post being made of wood, said lateral external surface including a section, said section including a height where said lateral external surface is to be even with the soil line; and a boot encircling at least said portion of said lateral external surface, said boot being impermeable to water.
 7. The fence post assembly according to claim 6, wherein said boot is at least fifteen centimeters tall and is configured to cover said lateral external surface of said fence post from where said soil line is to be located to fifteen centimeters above said soil line.
 8. The fence post assembly according to claim 6, wherein said boot is at least thirty centimeters tall and is configured to cover said lateral external surface of said fence post from where said soil line is to be located to thirty centimeters above said soil line.
 9. The fence post assembly according to claim 6, wherein said boot is at least forty-five centimeters tall, said boot being configured to cover said lateral external surface of said fence post from where said soil line is to be located to fifteen centimeters above said soil line, and said boot further being configured to cover said lateral external surface of said fence post from where said soil line is to be located to thirty centimeters below said soil line.
 10. The fence post assembly according to claim 6, wherein said boot is configured to cover said lateral external surface of said fence post from where said soil line is to be to a height above said soil line.
 11. The fence post assembly according to claim 10, wherein said boot is configured to cover said lateral external surface of said fence post from where said soil line is to be to a depth below said soil line.
 12. The fence post assembly according to claim 6, wherein said boot is configured to cover said lateral external surface of said fence post from where said soil line is to be to a depth below said soil line.
 13. The fence post assembly according to claim 6, further comprising concrete surrounding said boot, said concrete being below said height on said fence post to be aligned with the soil line.
 14. A method for strengthening a fence post to be placed in ground, which comprises: wrapping at least a portion of an outer surface of a fence post with a boot made of material impermeable to water; placing said fence post into a hole in the ground at a depth where said boot covers said outer surface of said fence post at the soil line.
 15. The method according to claim 14, which further comprises wrapping said fence post with said boot at least from the soil line to a height at least fifteen centimeters above the soil line.
 16. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises wrapping said fence post with said boot at least from the soil line to a height at least thirty centimeters below the soil line.
 17. The method according to claim 14, which further comprises wrapping said fence post with said boot from at least thirty centimeters below the soil line to fifteen centimeters above the soil line.
 18. The method according to claim 14, which further comprises placing said boot directly against said outer surface of said post.
 19. The method according to claim 14, which further comprises back filling the hole with concrete outside of boot.
 20. The method according to claim 14, which further comprises: pouring concrete into the hole before placing said fence post; and placing said fence post in said hole while said concrete is wet. 